This episode, we take a rollercoaster ride back into 2023. More than just a look back, we're sharing our visions for 2024, which include one of us becoming a Zumba instructor and a resolute commitment towards inclusivity and resilience. The journey doesn't end there, we also reflect on our favorite podcast episodes that spanned a range of topics from fashion design to self-belief and sustainability.
Join us in the conversation, as we navigate the intricacies of our past year with many delightful anecdotes and heartfelt goodbyes. We talk about the power of resilience and the importance of having a supportive circle. So, come along, let's celebrate the past and look forward to an exciting future together at Northern Power Women.
Listen to Learn:
- Our highlights from 2023
- Our goals for 2024
- Everyone's favourite podcast episode
- All about the new additions to our team!
You can now nominate for the 2025 Northern Power Women Awards to be in with a chance of celebrating with changemakers, trailblazers and advocates on 6th March 2025! Nominate now at wearepower.net
Sign up to our Power Platform to check out our events calendar here.
Keep up to date on the latest news from We Are Power : Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook
Sign up to our newsletter.
This episode, we take a rollercoaster ride back into 2023. More than just a look back, we're sharing our visions for 2024, which include one of us becoming a Zumba instructor and a resolute commitment towards inclusivity and resilience. The journey doesn't end there, we also reflect on our favorite podcast episodes that spanned a range of topics from fashion design to self-belief and sustainability.
Join us in the conversation, as we navigate the intricacies of our past year with many delightful anecdotes and heartfelt goodbyes. We talk about the power of resilience and the importance of having a supportive circle. So, come along, let's celebrate the past and look forward to an exciting future together at Northern Power Women.
Listen to Learn:
- Our highlights from 2023
- Our goals for 2024
- Everyone's favourite podcast episode
- All about the new additions to our team!
You can now nominate for the 2025 Northern Power Women Awards to be in with a chance of celebrating with changemakers, trailblazers and advocates on 6th March 2025! Nominate now at wearepower.net
Sign up to our Power Platform to check out our events calendar here.
Keep up to date on the latest news from We Are Power : Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook
Sign up to our newsletter.
The Northern Power Women podcast. For your career and your life, no matter what business you're in.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to the Northern Power Women podcast. And it is that time again where we have our we are power team podcast. So I get the chance to hang out with our fabulous we are power massive and have a little bit of a catch up, a bit of a reflection and a bit of a look ahead as to what is to come in 2024. And, of course, find out what their favorite podcast episode was of the past 2023 year behind us. So please feel free to share your favorite episode, join in on the chat and your 2024 goals, because we would love to know. So join in on all of our socials at North Power Women on Twitter or X thing and all the power women and all of the other socials do during the conversation. Well, it has been. I think we say this every year. It has been quite the year. We have recognized, yet again, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of role models. We have given back, paid it forward by our fantastic power up, mentoring and networking, which we absolutely love, which is created somewhere in the region of a million and a half in social value. So we are super, super proud. But now it's time to get to know and meet and catch up with a team behind all of this great success and all of this great effort and work. So hello to you, welcome to the podcast. Oh, do you know what I think you can do better? You do sound a bit shy, come on. A big cheers and a hi to everyone.
Speaker 2:Hello, northern Power Women. We are power teams. Rubber, absolutely Okay. Dole for 2024. Do a better intro. Oh, listen, it is great. I love it. It's brilliant, it's been quite. It has been quite the year. And you know, we cannot do this. We cannot. All the achievements and everything that we're super proud of can't do it without this kick ass team. So I'm going to be speaking. I'm going to start with our Lydia. Lydia, what are you most proud of from 2023? Hi, everyone.
Speaker 3:What I'm most proud of in 23, I think, is kind of trying new things. I've done a lot, I think, for the past year, like things are not done before. So yeah, I have a list of everything each month that I've done differently. So I think from last year the last year's podcast I wanted to do more like volunteering work. So I did that with the food banks and food cycle, which has been great, you know, trying to, you know appreciating food being given to other people I have. I was participated in a dragon boat racing which was really like kind of out the blue, so that was fun just to see how teamwork is. And we came, I think, first, but first in like the heat, which is great, you know. That was good like experience as well as the event side of things. So organized a baby shower, I've done paddle boarding, pottery, life drawing, so the lot really.
Speaker 2:I've done quite a bit this year and what are you going to fit into 2024?
Speaker 3:24. So my path to 24 is to be a Zumbra Strip that I signed up a couple of weeks ago and want to continue that and get my fitness back on track and do what I love, which is dancing and creating a positive and happy atmosphere.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's amazing because you did the great charity Zumba Thon, didn't you only last month? That thinks something like that. So that's amazing. I love that. There you go, something new. I didn't know that was in the horizon. I can feel Northern Powell women Zumba, zumba Thon at any point. And tell us what your favorite podcast has been of the last year.
Speaker 3:My favorite podcast this year is Laura for Taurus Thanks. She is a fashion designer from Leeds but based out in London, and her podcast really kind of resonated as to me as like self-belief believing yourself even though people don't think that you can. It's just what you think you can do. And also, being a lover of fashion, his stuff is great, like nice and contemporary and just really current and sustainable. So that was like my favorite podcast this year.
Speaker 2:And I remember rightly from that conversation I had with Laura, it was the fabric all still come from like Yorkshire Mills, so everything is so. Even though she's out there at London Fashion Week and other global fashion weeks, she's like still that whole roots of that northern Yorkshire kind of cloth, isn't it, which is brilliant. Thank you, Lid, and we look forward to zumbering into 24. I don't, I literally have two left feet. I don't really think I can do that, but you know we're going to go. Emma. Emma Mason, what has been your favorite podcast? My favorite?
Speaker 4:podcast, without doubt, is Claire Buckles. Whenever I hear Claire speak about the work she's doing around inclusivity, her resilience, her determination never failed to motivate or inspire me, and she's really uplifting and positive just to listen to. So I love listening every time I hear Claire speak and do you know what?
Speaker 2:she was part of the judging a few weeks ago for the Northern Power Women Awards 24. And it's, she just brings that smile and energy into the room and she has just, she has literally a joy to be around. So, emma, what else? What have you done new in 23? Because it's always every year. Five years now sort of started coming in as when we were kicking off Northern Power Futures back in. What would that have been 2018? And I always think of what your CV must look like, of all these things that you've learned. You know website development, mentor wranglers, you know role model, like everything. So what, what has been? What have you most proud of in this year? Do?
Speaker 4:you know what? The thing I'd say I'm most proud of is not me, it's us as a team. You talked about it at the opener this time, about everything we've done and everything we've achieved. And do you know what? I may have said the same thing last year, but when I stop and think about what we've done as a small team, the impact that we've had on people's lives whether that be winners, awards, whether that be people who are shortlisted, whether it be people who've come to our events, mentors, mentees Anna showed me the stats that she did for our Spotify unwrapped posts the other week and I was actually shocked about, you know, the number of events, the number of minutes, the this, that and the other. I just think you don't realize how much you've done. When you're in it, it's not till you stop and look back and actually just seeing that post made me think God, we've done a lot. So I'm really proud of us as a team what we've achieved.
Speaker 2:Oh, and you can check out the link, can't you, to our Spotify unwrapped posts as well, which you'll be able to follow as well. But I think you're right. I think sometimes you've got to do that reflect, to look back, to go oh, my goodness, how did we, how did we do it, and how did we not just do it, but like do it really well? So what are you looking forward to in 2024? Zumba Goals.
Speaker 4:Yeah, zumba. Yeah, do you know what? It's fun? It's actually similar to Lydia. It is to do with exercise and health and my physical health. I need to get back on track. That's sweet, and obviously everyone knows that your physical health in turn impacts your mental health. So it's getting the two of those back on track. So it's getting back on that dreaded Peloton and starting a new challenge in January.
Speaker 2:Really, that's, that's my plan and if you've got a Peloton bike out there, we need to, you know, really motivate Amaran. We have a hashtag, we have a hashtag Northern Power Women. So, if you are a Peloton user, please do that and we can. We can all encourage each other, cause, yeah, I think I have it sits in the office, so I see it every day. I think I will have, you will have. Yeah, no, that's the plan, anna. Queen of content, queen of stories, queen of marketing, what are your highlights when? How many stories you must have told or enabled and lifted out there over the last year?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I think I prefer putting the podcast on as well than actually being the guest. I think is one thing I've learned. It's been I mean, it's been my first year out of education this year working for Northern Power Women, the first awards first, everything really. And then you decided to obviously keep me on in September at the end of my graduate selection Good, so I saved my achievements from this year. I've just been the amount of content and events we have done and moving into a more, a higher responsibility role with within the Northern Power Women.
Speaker 2:And what is 2024 going to bring for you? Have you got fitness or dancing your goals?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I'm pretty sure I said last year I was going to go and fitness and I'm going to say again this year and then for my next years I think I'll probably say it again. But, yeah, getting back to fitness, definitely, but as well, just kind of more of the same, but, I think, more relaxed, with a bit more experience behind me for 2024, like take every day as it comes instead of being like, ah, what's got, like learning so much new. And I'd also like to go to a couple of countries I've not been to before.
Speaker 2:Oh, really, were we thinking, anna, were we thinking.
Speaker 5:I actually haven't thought. This podcast made me think. So then that's for 2024. Is to figure that out and get it booked.
Speaker 2:Suggestions, suggestions in the chat yeah, take suggestions. And what has been your favourite pod?
Speaker 5:I like the Miriam Walker Con one because I like anything to do with sport really and hearing our stories about when she's faced sexism coming through the industry and how she's overcome it was Inspiring and good to hear that now she's obviously the diversity inclusion before it's sky and that she has overcome that Sexism and it is possible. So I think it's inspiring for anyone who else who wants to go into that industry is a woman.
Speaker 2:And I think that was a new role, wasn't it?
Speaker 2:I think, when she she's, that new role has been created, I think, within sky for her as well. So it's it's amazing to see sort of work, the way she's kind of map that out and where she's going to be able to sort of drive and take that. But well, thank you Anna, thanks for, literally, let's aim us forward to having that more relaxed year ahead with that experience behind you, and I think it's it's almost as we, we you know we've already highlighted Emma and yourself as highlighted sort of how much stuff that we have done and do, do, and you know we may be small, but we are, we are mighty and one of the with the new things for us, as we've got two new members of the team as we grow into 24 and beyond, and Nicola Nicola's joined us as head of business development to help us really smash that right. So what so far? You've only been with us a few weeks and you've seen a lot, haven't you? Maybe I should say what's your highlights of 2023? But what are you?
Speaker 1:you know you literally worry a week for something crazy like that week, week four of this northern power women Journey, and what a journey it's been.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, you come from the that, you know so very male dominated industries, haven't you from the world of rail, from the world of construction? And yeah, yeah, definitely getting us on track and knocking down walls, I think, is one of the things that you're gonna bring into the mix. But what? What are you a proud of us in 23, both in and outside of this, this last four weeks?
Speaker 1:I've got to say I'm a little bit philosophical when it comes to what I'm proud of in the last, in the last year, I'd say Probably the proudest achievement has been my resilience. I've never I didn't realize how resilient I was until this year, if I'm honest, if I had instances where I've Fearlessly followed me hard and I think by doing that it sort of led me into NPW. So you know it's, it has been quite a journey this year and, yeah, my proudest thing is probably, you know, my resilience towards things and and my voice is powerful and then, and that that in itself has been a big thing for me this year, you know, and it realized the strength of my own voice and it's good. I don't know if it's an age thing, I don't know if it comes of age, I don't know. From now I'm knocking on that door of 40. You sort of you get a bit. You know you're stronger, aren't you In your opinion?
Speaker 2:so and I think that's our first. I feel like that's a one of our tote bag moments. We always love those like slogans and I think, fearlessly, following your heart, I think that's that's our, that's this episode's tote bag Isn't, and I think we all think there's something in that isn't there and I think that's interesting. You, like, acknowledge the whole. You know it's important to have my Voice and that using that power for good isn't it, you know? And what? What are you looking forward to next year? Won't be relaxing.
Speaker 1:Next. I'm looking forward to this journey. To be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing what lies ahead. I'm like I'm excited for the first time in a long time. I am genuinely, really excited about where this is gonna go and where we're gonna, you know, go as a team, to join a team of fearlessly strong women is massive for me, massive. It's been a long time coming in my own personal career and growth so to see where this little path is gonna go.
Speaker 2:It's not gonna be little.
Speaker 1:It's not gonna be little, it's gonna be huge, it's gonna be huge.
Speaker 2:What? Which one of the podcast has jumped out at you?
Speaker 1:Obviously well. To me that's an obvious choice of the one I got to sit. Listen to Nikki Chance Thompson. She resonated with me so clearly and so loudly when she said don't sweat the small stuff. That's a big thing for me because I have, in my little career, sweated the small stuff and it isn't you know, it isn't the be all the end all this bigger fish to fry out there. Don't, don't sit and listen to the little niggly things. You know that there's bigger fish to fry. So yeah, that was a big one for me. And Surround yourself the great people was another thing that she said, and obviously this is what I've done of surrounding myself with great, great, great, great girls.
Speaker 2:So you've surrounded yourself with northern power women, northern power women and a northern power man.
Speaker 3:We'll shut up in there.
Speaker 2:Oh, thanks, sir, we are. We're really excited. It is this, it's this, it's this time, isn't it? We're really excited for what this team can do, taking us into 2024 and and we've talked about Nicola joining the team Charlotte, we're gonna speak speaking to Joe in a short while, but Our live, our live, has been with us with a year, our fantastic partnerships and business development manager and is now Fleeing. You're fleeing the nest, aren't you? You're fleeing with love, up to the BBC. Live, what's, what's your 2023? We like.
Speaker 7:Wild. It's been wild. I've loved every minute of working for this team brilliant women, brilliant impact, amazing partners. I'm just dead happy with myself. I'm really proud and it's a bit like Nick said that I've trusted my gut in the last couple of years. Everywhere I've got to has been because of the decisions that I've chosen to go with. So I feel like, even though the rent went up and that was kind of the reason why I left but I took control with the support of this team, and made a choice, and now that's opened doors to so many different opportunities that I wouldn't have got previously.
Speaker 2:And what are you excited about for 2024? You've got a whole new role, haven't you to get excited for?
Speaker 7:I have. I'm excited, obviously, to start with the BBC that's a really exciting opportunity but also excited to be home. So I've relocated back home. I've not been home for like four years. I've got a little niece as well now, so it's really exciting times to be around my family, but also getting to know the area with my partner, tom, because he's never been this end in the Midlands, so learning and finding our own little corners and places that we didn't know before.
Speaker 2:And you know Liv, once a Northern power woman, always a Northern power woman. So we know we're gonna stay connected, aren't we? We know you'll always be part of this family. So what has been your pod? What's your highlight pod?
Speaker 7:Mine was Rebecca Loy from National Museums in Liverpool, because she spoke so highly of Paving the Way Forward for the people. She's spoken to people before and she's been mentored and now she wants to give back as much as possible. She spoke all the time about people, culture and community and the power of coming together, and she spoke about personal experiences with a sister and how she turned that grief and that feeling into wanting to support others and create an events and opportunities for others to get involved in, and I love that.
Speaker 2:And it is interesting, isn't it? Every single you know we've done however many podcasts. We have one a week and then we've had certain times of the year where we have multiple podcasts, so we've had over 60 different contributors, if you think this year to our podcast. But everyone brings that bit of wisdom, that bit of humor, that bit of it's that whole point, isn't it? Everyone's got their own story, isn't it? So I think it's interesting that we I didn't know which ones you're gonna pick today so it's interesting that you've all gone for different ones as well, because it's always that someone that resonates with you, isn't it?
Speaker 2:So, liv, we wish you the best of luck and obviously always part of the family. So thank you on behalf of all the team, all of our partners, for everything you've done and brought into the we Are Power family this year. Thank you, love you all. And as our Liv goes in, comes our Joe. Joe has joined us as taking over partnerships. Joe, welcome, welcome to the we Are Power massive. Thank you very much. And you are, you're a veteran. Now, what is it? Seven or eight weeks, something like that, what is it? I?
Speaker 6:think we're pushing two months now.
Speaker 2:Ah, literally about what's been your highlights of 23?.
Speaker 6:Obviously, I've not been here that long, but it is a very kind of throwing at the deep end. Nominations are just closed. When I started, so one of my first jobs was reading through some of the categories for nominations, which was that, I think, has been my highlight just seeing the range of different people out there and how they're making an impact. So I think for me, that would be the highlight.
Speaker 2:I think it is. That isn't it, that whole platform of being able to you know many of the team of read through the nominations. I'll read through them all, like Emma. We go through them all, every single one, don't we? We just short 14 hundred nominations. It's been, but it still never ceases to inspire me. The amazing people out there doing amazing. It's not the same people every year that are putting in, it's different people and it's unearthed in those fantastic role models. So what? And?
Speaker 6:it's such a wide range of people as well.
Speaker 2:Oh, it is Every story, isn't it? Every story it gets to a point. We've just come out of the judging. Nick, you came along to the judging, didn't you? And it's again. That's. It's wild, using Liv's word. There is wild, isn't it? Those nominations.
Speaker 1:What an introduction to Northern Power. We've been three days of judging.
Speaker 2:Crazy 70 odd judges. So what are you looking forward to? Because the great thing going into 2024, you'll be able to see the, if you like, the culmination of all this work in the awards into March. What else are you looking forward into 2024?
Speaker 6:So the thing I'm most looking forward to is going to the awards and, to be honest with you, it'll be really, really great to experience it, obviously after seeing the run up to it and being involved in that. In addition to that, for me it's just seeing how we can grow with our current partners, the excitement of seeing who else is coming on board. I think the Power Exchange which is launching in January is going to be really exciting, where we can get all of our partners together to just knowledge share. And you know we me and Liv met with one of our partners last week and one of the questions that they asked is can you tell us what your other partners are doing? And I was like you can ask them yourself in January.
Speaker 2:I love it, I love you. You got all the plugs in there as well. Well done, well done, joe. Well, actually, you can rogue on you. It's not not your favorite pod, it's your favorite webinar.
Speaker 6:It is. Yeah, I am going rogue and I'm picking a webinar, partly because I haven't been here that long and I haven't delved into the podcast yet and I've not been there when any have been recorded, and so I'm going to go for the webinar that I was there for, which was Allyship and the impact of our life ship, which I think is important. Obviously, as northern power women, we still need men to come along with us and to shout for us and, you know, come on that journey. So that was a really, really interesting one and it got great feedback from everyone as well. It was a really really engaging topic. It opened a lot of conversations.
Speaker 2:And I know that's that is still getting you know. We have our weekly, our monthly webinar, so please do catch up on everything, all of our podcasts and webinars. On our digital hub, the we are the power platform, we are power net. But yeah, that ally, shit one, it was absolutely phenomenal. I know we were getting messages going oh, we've shared that, we've shared that round our employees, all scripts, we've shared that with you. It just seemed to let you say, joe, really lands and really, really, really resonate. I'm kind of business viral. Did go business fire. I like that. There you go, oh, joe, thank you so much and welcome, welcome, welcome to the T-Ring. And finally, we have our wonderful Charlotte. Charlotte started with us on a volunteering experience at the start of the year that you joined two weeks before the awards. So you came to the awards, they joined and got to experience that and then, just this month, we've now taken you on full-time. I thought we shall, as a welcome welcome to our, our team what has been your buzz of the year? What's been your 2023?
Speaker 8:highlights yes, so what I'm most proud of for this year is joining the team, and before I started I was quite nervous to join this kind of world of work. I've never really done it before. But building my confidence, being around all the amazing people They've been really uplifting and, yeah, that's definitely been my proudest thing. And what are you looking forward to next year? It's gonna be the awards again, not the copy, joe, but I think last year they said I'd joined two weeks before the awards, so didn't really know all the work that went into it and but this year, see now how much effort and how much work everyone's putting in and to see that come to fruition, I think it's gonna be really amazing.
Speaker 2:I think you would have come the awards last year and we talked very much Don't me about. We are more, we're not just one night, we talk about this way more, and I think you've now had that opportunity to, to actually be part of creating that more with Anna as part of the, you know, the content team. So it literally is practicing, practicing what we preach right?
Speaker 8:Yeah, definitely, like I don't think I understood how much we really did do until I got got my hands in and got involved in yeah, like Emma said before, knowing how much like impact it has on people's lives through all the things that we do, I think that's so amazing oh it's brilliant.
Speaker 2:And what has been your highlight, your pod highlight?
Speaker 8:Again, I'm gonna say allyship, but the podcast that stood out to me was Andy Coyne and, like Joe, was saying the importance of allyship and getting people of all genders involved in the conversation, and one thing that stood out to me was Him talking about using his privilege and listening to people's lived experiences. I thought that was really important.
Speaker 2:Andy Coyne. Again, allyship is that we've always talked about Northern power, women, and it's always all genders. We're always, you know, really important that we have everyone, like Joe says, sort of Not just fighting our corner but fighting with us. For us it's that, it's that wider approach and I think that's been something you know right. From where are we? Eight years ago we talked about having all genders involved. So I think this is having there more conversations around allyship and educating and building communities to support as we go into 24 awards. We've got the advocacy list, so again, recognizing building that small community that can really help sort of drive change across Our whole agendas of accelerating gender equality and social mobility from the north Listen team. It's been an absolute joy. I love getting you guys together.
Speaker 2:My, I think my highlights this year I think this has been a again, as we've kind of come out of that pandemic war We've gone have been very heavily sort of in a, in a virtual world, to then sort of start shoehorning Live events into the mix as well. You know we obviously have the largest event celebrating gender equality in Europe with our awards, but starting bringing these live power-ups into play where we're really connecting the world of work with our future talent and talent pipeline. So bringing that back into play and the hard work that these live events bring, having created Lidia in a new rollers community and events building out more partners, live bringing new partners into play, so much so that we're expanding and growing the team so that we can actually do more. We need our partners out there to help us in this. So I'm really proud that the growth and the build of this team has been sort of far faster than I thought it would be, and that goes down to every single person's individual efforts and 2024, I think it's it's it's more of the same as in the growth, but with more sort of. We're taking this opportunity as we grow. We want to grow for good and we want to grow with sort of Different structure in place, you know so, so I can get myself out there and sort of driving that business. So it's it's not quite taking hands off, but but having a building the stronger team so that I can go and do what I'm good at and build into the team. So that's what I'm excited and nervous about at the same time. But I'm also not nervous because I've got this amazing team that you've just heard I'm gonna help, you know, and grow and drive this on. So for me it's really excited. I think we're on the cusp of something really amazing. We're already doing amazing stuff and we're gonna grow, I think, to kind of really grow that. So that's my. My goal is is to try and help and lead the team better by by looking kind of more focused in what I do rather than trying to dive down every rabbit hole and get my hands involved in everything. So that's what I'm excited about.
Speaker 2:My favorite podcast I love Debbie cook from Grimsby football club. I thought she was brilliant. She was just so upfront, honest. You know we talk about this been the advent of the. The growth of women's sport has been phenomenal and the growth has been exponential. So hearing from an amazing leader In Debbie and talk about her journey and how sort of she's had to navigate and, you know, banging her head against ceilings and walls and all that kind of thing, but with such positivity, with real, such positivity. So again, my, a real highlight for me was but I love them all, but I'm gonna say that aren't I? You know, it's like picking your favorite child or your favorite chocolate in the selection box, you know. But again, everyone, we always say everyone's got something amazing to give. So but a massive thanks to from me personally to this amazing team. We wish live you the best of luck. You're gonna fly and be awesome and we love actually you're gonna be working with one of our northern power women as well, haven't we? Because it's we love the power of this community and the connectivity, so it's amazing. So we do wish you well and we we're gonna strap Nicola, joe and Charlotte in so we Keep you supported as we we go on this massive grow.
Speaker 2:So thank you so much for all of you. Thank you, team. You are all awesome. You can do a bit of a yay. Yeah, it's no better than a start, but it's okay. We know the enthusiasm is all I know. I love it. You make it a joy to kind of do and grow everything we do. I can't do it without you and I know that's an easy thing to say, but I can't. I'm looking forward to how we Develop, going forward. So thank you all and thank you to everyone listening out there again, we can't do without your support. So thank you all for listening. Thank you for sharing, supporting, partnering, advocating for what we do. It's been an a massively amazing eight-year journey so far with northern power women. We are power in the power collective, so thank you for staying with us on this adventure. Stay connected on all our socials, leave a review and sign up to find out everything that's going on. Our digital club we are powernet. My name is Simone. You've been listening to the northern power in the podcast a what goes on media production.